I know I said I wouldn't start a thread on this. But I'm really upset and don't want to be cluttering up the "space to post things... " thread. I apologise if this post isn't very coherent. I'm not very coherent right now.

My dog is really sick and no one knows why yet. The past few days, her hind legs were bothering her. Just trouble climbing the stairs and getting up from her bed and stuff like that. We thought it was because she missed last week's physical therapy appointment. Yesterday she had a little diarrhea and didn't want to eat much. So I made her some rice for supper, and she ate that, and I was thinking she just had an upset tummy and would be better in the morning. This morning she didn't want to eat and threw up a tiny bit. I was still thinking just an upset tummy. So I went off to work. I came home and went right to check on her. She was just lying in the living room. I asked if she wanted to go out, and she got up very slowly and went outside and peed and then came right back in and lay down again. She seemed very lethargic. I felt her head and it felt really warm. I was petting her and looking her over, and I saw some dried blood on one of her legs, near the hock. It didn't look like a cut or scrape or anything, just that dried blood appeared there. I felt really worried all of a sudden, so I called my mom up and told her that Sable was sick and I was really worried about her. My mom came home and looked at Sable and helped me carry her up to her crate. We got an appt at our normal vet for a couple hours later.

When we got to the vet, the tech took Sable's temp and said she had a fever. Then she went to draw blood on a hind leg, and said "Um, is her skin normally like this?" and I looked and her skin was all purply red blood under her skin all the way from her back toes up to her tail and groin area. I have never seen anything like it. Both back legs, but not her front end or stomach or anything. And the back legs around the hocks were swollen and hot to the touch. They definitely weren't like that yesterday. The tech couldn't get any blood because the veins were too small and Sable was dehydrated (I don't think she went to the water dish at all this morning because she didn't want to get up and walk around. So the only time she drank today was out of her travel dish at the vet. I felt really bad, but I wasn't even thinking that she wasn't drinking). The vet came in and examined her, and really had no idea what the fork was going in. She called in the senior vet who also did not know, but said we could start fluids, antibiotics, and try to bring the fever down and see what happens. But my vet said "You know, I really don't know what this is, so I don't want to say "yeah, we'll just start her on fluids and she'll be fine," because I really don't know." So we talked about seeing an emergency vet, and our vet agreed and called ahead at the emergency so they were expecting us.

We got to the ER and they take Sable in back right away. I am so not used to this, because my vet always lets me stay with Sable, but I know that's just how the ER works. So we have to sit and wait and wait in the waiting room, with other people who are sobbing over the decision of whether to put their pet down. I am completely freaking out and shaking uncontrollably the whole time. Finally the vet calls us in, asks some questions about symptoms and when it all started and stuff. And she said three possibilities were tick borne disease like anaplasmosis or rocky mountain spotted fever, an auto-immune disease, or cancer. She said they were going to draw bloods and do them in house and let us know. So we went back out and waited and after a while they called us back in and the vet said they had been able to get only a tiny bit of blood. She said the platelets were low, which could be any of the things she previously mentioned, but that they were clumping, which made the autoimmune thing less likely. She said they wanted to keep her overnight, keep her on fluids and antibiotics, and try to get more blood. We had to sign some forms and she asked us "If she arrests during the night, do you authorise us to perform CPR?" I know they have to ask you that as standard procedure, but oh my god, it is upsetting. So I had to leave my dog overnight and she has never been away from home overnight before. They brought her out so we could say good night, and I just started crying so bad and couldn't stop. I could see the other people in the waiting room looking at me and it was terrible, but I didn't want to let go of my dog and I couldn't stop crying.

So now I am home and still don't know what is wrong with her or if she's going to get better. Usually when I am sad I snuggle Sable, but she's not here to snuggle, and I am so sad, ppk. I don't know what to do.

I'm sending a billion thousand wellness and goodness thoughts your way. I couldn't read all this because I was about to cry and I'm in public... Gosh what you must be feeling... So many hugs for you and Sable.

This made me cry, too. I can imagine how you might feel, because my own dog is old and has had some health problems and scares, but I've never had to leave her overnight. I really really hope that she's going to be okay.

It's totally okay to talk about it as much or as little as you want. It doesn't have to be coherent.

Thank you, everyone. I was wishing I had a way to post here when I was stuck in the waiting room for 3 hours (they had wifi, unfortunately I don't carry my laptop everywhere!). My mom was with me, but she is not the comforting type at all. It's just not in her nature. So I was trying to text friends but my phone was getting no signal in the building. I kept having to walk outside to send texts, and there were these women outside trying to decide whether to put their dog down, so every time I went out there I'd overhear them and get upset.

I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight. Sable has slept in my room every night for the past 11 years. Every time I wake up and look over at her, she is staring back at me. Which is a bit creepy, tbh. But I keep looking over at her crate and she's not there, and it's terrible.

I just want her to get better and come home and I can hug her and she can be a bumble bee for halloween and everything would be happy.

Oh that is awful for both of you! I think the only thing you can do right now is try to distract yourself as best you can until the morning.

_________________"The Tree is His Penis"

The tree is his penis // it's very exciting // when held up to his mouth // the lights are all lighting // his eyes start a-bulging // in unbridled glee // the tree is his penis // its beauty, effulgent -amandabear

I am wishing the best for you and Sable! Listen to MBM and find something to keep your mind occupied.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

The vet just checked in with us. She said Sable is sleeping (jeez Sable, couldn't you at least pretend to be missing me?), her blood pressure is good (which apparently means no kidney damage) and her 4DX test came back very strong positive for anaplasmosis. If this is the sole problem and she shows improvement in the next couple of days, then the prognosis is good. So let's all hope she responds to the antibiotics!

Thanks to everyone for thinking of me and Sable, it really means a lot to me. I know you all understand how much I love my dog and I always know you won't think I'm crazy for obsessing over her so much. <3

It's going to be tough to sleep tonight, but I'm more hopeful now. I'm going to snuggle with my bunny and maybe that will make me feel better. And I am glad to know that Sable is sleeping and not upset, and that there is someone there 24/7 so she's not alone. Everyone who interacted with Sable there said that she was such a nice dog and they really like her.

Amy wrote:

I'm so sorry. :( I've cried just calling the vet when my dog was sick.

Oh, I have done that too. Even when she is healthy, I hate bringing her for an exam because I'm so afraid they are going to find something wrong. And I stopped taking her to be professionally groomed, because I got too upset when I had to leave her there (And this was a very nice groomer who ran a small grooming salon out of her own house. It's not like I was leaving her in a noisy kennel or anything, but I would still get so upset at leaving her behind that sometimes I would cry in the car on the way home. It was pretty ridiculous.)

So many good thoughts to you and Sable. She needs to get better for the Halloween pet costumes thread! And cute pet pictures. And othe pet-ppking she has yet to do! Seriously though, lots of love to you both.

_________________sometimes, I see a really cute woman and I'm so excited I poop myself ~ Olives

i don't think you're crazy at all! i know exactly how you feel; i started crying halfway through your first post because it put me right back in the waiting room at my emergency vet. but i'm so glad that you already have some news and can maybe relax a little. i hope she's home soon!

_________________"rise from the ashes of douchebaggery like a fancy vegan phoenix" - amandabear"I'm pretty sure the moral of this story is: fork pants." - cq

Totally this! This post made me cry and everything. I hope with all my heart Sable is okay!

I totally understand reluctance over routine vet visits when your pet gets elderly because even when your pet seems healthy, you don't want to be faced with the bad news that something may be wrong! <3 <3 <3